Holt's Steele Sled
by karazorel
Summary: Christmas is truly special for Laura Holt and Remington Steele this time around. My take on Laura's promise from the episode "Dancer, Prancer, Donner, and Steele".


_DISCLAIMER: Needless to say I don't own Remington Steele in any way, shape, or form. No infringement is intended. I offer this fan fiction as a tribute to the creative teams involved in the actual production of the show. _

Summary: Christmas is truly special for Laura Holt and Remington Steele this time around. My take on Laura's promise from the episode_ "Dancer, Prancer, Donner, and Steele"_.

**Holt's Steele Sled**

**CHAPTER ONE**

A knock on the door to her office woke Laura from her slumber. Christmas season was once again upon Remington Steele Investigations and there were no cases to be worked on as usual. This was usually the time of year when she caught up with sleep and some relaxation. Ever since the man with no name came into her life, she had stopped being all about work and learned to enjoy some down time when it presented itself. This was one such occasion.

"Ms. Holt, the boss just called and asked me to tell you that he isn't coming in today. He's got the the beginnings of the flu and he doesn't want to become the harbinger of germs around the office." Mildred smiled as her head poked through the door.

Wiping the sleep from her eyes and stretching out, Laura got her feet off her desk and moved to put on her 3-inch heels. She smiled as she remembered the last time time that Mr. Steele claimed to have the flu.

"Did he really sound ill? Mr Steele is the master of deceit after all, he will try anything and do anything to get out of work. " Even if there was nothing to do at the office, the (should be a comma here to continue the sentence) man needed to learn that work and earning your keep meant going to the office even when there was nothing to be done.

Mildred had a puzzled look on her face. Normally Ms. Holt would have been voicing her concern for the man with whom she was in a relationship and going out the door to take care of him. But now that Mildred thought about it...

"He did sound more sad than ill Ms. Holt." she answered. "Must be the holiday blues?"

Laura gave her that crooked smile that told Mildred that she knew what the only man in their office was up to.

"I'll take care of it from here Mildred." She opened her drawer and pulled out her purse.

"Yes Ms. Holt." Mildred turned to go back to her desk. The way those two young people communicated really left her out of the loop all the time.

"Have the flu indeed. He just doesn't want to be reminded of Christmas." Laura muttered to herself as she primped up. A wide smile crossed her face as an idea popped into her head. She walked out of her office with a sprite in her step.

The secretary was sitting behind her desk in the reception area as usual. But without any cases to look into, she wasn't hunched over the computer terminal tapping away and getting information for them. Instead, she had a steaming cup of cocoa beside her while she worked on the L.A. Times crossword puzzle.

"Mildred. Lock up the office at lunch and take the whole week off. Mr. Steele and I will see you next year alright?"

"Are you sure Ms. Holt? Close down the office for a week? Is something wrong with the boss?" The agency had only been closed twice before and it was always because Ms. Holt had to attend to something going on in the life of Mr. Steele. "Will you be needing my help? I haven't got any solid holiday plans. My sister sent me a plane ticket to go see her in Seattle but if you need me..." If something was going on, Mildred wanted in on it.

A sense of frustration crept into Laura, there goes Mildred's over efficiency once again. She never could understand the signals that she and Steele often planted to let her know they wanted to be alone. This was yet another signal that Mildred totally misread.

"Nothing is going on Mildred. We won't be needing you. Go and spend the holidays with your family. The holidays have always been the agency's slow season. It's the best time to take some personal time." Laura gave a meaningful smile that she hoped Mildred would understand.

That seemed to get through to Mildred. "Well, I have been looking forward to seeing my sister. Would you mind if I close up now and leave with you?"

LHRSLH

The man who lay in the bed that morning looked nothing like the debonair Remington Steele that his public persona had come to embody. He was disheveled and unshaven, without any real desire to get out of the rut that he had ensconced himself in. The holidays were the worst time of year for him. Left without any recourse, he chose to feign illness rather than have to go to the office and face the cheerful greetings from Laura. Mildred would only make things worse by insisting he try her eggnog anyway. After his last experience at the office Christmas party, that was the last place he wanted to be on Christmas Eve. No, he was quite content and happy to be Scrooge all by his lonesome, surrounded by the warm comforting hug of his bed and comforter.

Laura used her key to let herself into the penthouse. If she was right and Steele was sulking away because of the season then she would just have to do her best to get him out of his Scrooge mode. She had made big holiday week plans for them after all. There was a mass under the blanket that seemed to be moving on the bed when she entered his room.

"Good morning Mr. Steele." she threw off the covers that hid his head from her view. "It's the day before Christmas. The sun is shining, it's a cool day... come on, get out from there. We have a whole day ahead of us."

"Laura, didn't you get my message? I'm ill. Can't get out of bed. I told Mildred not to let you come here. I don't want to infect you." He faked a whooping cough for her benefit.

"That act went out with Daniel Chalmers, Mr. Steele. Now we both know I am not leaving this bed until I get you out of it." She sat down beside him.

"Or, you get into it," he said as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her down towards him. Her strawberry flavored lips always had that awakening effect on him.

She still remained lying on top of him after he had his fill of her flavored lips, trying to decide if she should give in to the desire that needed to be quenched, or pretend that the heavy kissing they always did was enough for her. As always, Logic got the best of her.

"Now that I have your attention," Laura nipped at his earlobe. "It's time to get you ready."

"Laura..." he complained as he let her go. "You know this season bears no special meaning for me. Why must I pretend to enjoy something I don't?"

"Because Mr. Steele, you need to learn to love Christmas. It's my favorite holiday of the year and it should be yours too. That is if you really want to be Remington Steele as I envisioned him to be." She threw herself upward out of the bed.

He rolled over onto his side facing away from her, sulking once again. She walked over to his closet and pulled out his suitcase, flinging it onto the bed. Next out of the closet were his winter clothes.

"What are you doing? Why are you packing those clothes? It's balmy weather in LA, Laura." He got out of bed and took out the clothes from the suitcase. "Leave it to a woman to pack clothes. Besides, we're only going to Frances' house. I doubt I will need more than an overnight bag," he grumbled.

"Just pack the winter clothing Mr. Steele. I promise you won't be sorry." She pulled him upright from his packing position and kissed him once again. "Pick you up at 6 and don't bother asking Fred to help you get away. I'm taking the limo on some last minute errands." She walked out of the room.

LHRSLH

Fred was a whiz at mounting the double seat flexible flyer onto the top of the limousine. Laura simply marveled at the way that he tied the sled to the rooftop. Granted that the windows in the back seat could not be closed due to the rope running through them, but the way the sled sat atop the car in its silver gift wrapping just gave Laura the confidence to know that it would survive the trip to her sister's house.

"Oh my goodness, Laura! What is that thing?" her sister groaned when Laura arrived at her doorstep with Fred in tow.

"Just lean it against the wall beside the tree in the living room, Fred. Thanks." Laura instructed as she motioned for her sister to make way for the chauffeur bearing gifts.

"It's a gift for Mr. Steele." Laura explained. "I promised it to him last year. I was so busy that I almost forgot to pick it up today. He will be so happy with it."

"You said you were getting him a sled, not Santa's sleigh!" Frances referred to the monstrosity that was now ruining her Christmas motif in the living room.

"Wow! Who bought a blimp?" Danny, her 13 year old nephew asked. The Piper family were all in the living room decorating the rest of the house for the evening's festivities. "Let's blow it up!"

"Now Danny, that is not your gift. That is for you Aunt Laura's boss. Who I am sure will be thrilled to be stuck with such a monstrosity in his penthouse, especially since it doesn't snow in L.A. " Frances sarcastically explained while giving her younger sister the evil eye.

"What time is mother arriving?" Laura changed the subject as she added some smaller gifts to the pile already building up under the tree. Abigail Holt, Laura and Frances' mother, was due to arrive the same evening to spend the holidays with her favorite daughter's family.

"I'm leaving to pick her up in an hour so we should be back around 8," her sister responded with an exasperated sigh. Holidays were a trial for her as well. What with their mother constantly trying to tell her how to run her household and raise her children. That was something that she and Laura shared in common, they could only take their mother's intrusion into their lives once, twice a year tops.

"Then Mr. Steele and I should be here by 7." Laura took Fred's outstretched hand for support as she got up from her kneeling position. "By the way, thanks for letting me bring him."

"It's the least we could do for him. He has always been such a nice young man to both of us. Not to mention he treats you very well even though you are only his associate. You'd never think he owned the best detective agency in Los Angeles." Frances accidentally hit a sensitive cord with her sister.

Laura flinched at the thought that she could never really tell her sister who owned the agency and that the man they called Remington Steele was nothing but a figment of her imagination, that this man with 7 names was definitely not Remington Steele. But the charade worked wonders for her and she wasn't about to let it end just yet.

"Yes, he is. But he gets very lonely around the holidays. Being an orphan and all, he really needs to have family around." She felt like she was telling the truth about him at this point.

"Then he is very lucky to have a friend like you. Sometimes mom and I wish that he were your boyfriend, and boss," she teased without knowing how true her words were.

Laura sighed and asked Fred to bring the car around. Frances accompanied her to the door.

"Mr. Steele and I, we have a special relationship. It can't really be defined in one single way," she began.

"Laura, you don't have to lie to me. I see how the two of you look at each other. I see how he tries to please you, me, our mother, and anyone even remotely related to this family. You'll be defined soon enough." Frances winked at her as she closed the car door after Laura got in.

LHRSLH

"I'm just stopping by the loft to pick up the Apple Pie I made then I am off to pick you up. Please be ready Mr. Steele," Laura spoke into the car phone as Fred pulled up in front of her apartment. "Be there in 30 minutes."

"Keep the motor running Fred, I won't be long. Oh and Fred," the driver turned to face her, "If Mr. Steele should call..."

"Lie ma'am?"

"Exactly. This is all a surprise for Mr. Steele."

**CHAPTER TWO**

The children were crowded around Mr. Steele and the Atari game console in the living room. Each child battled for his attention as he tried to steer his way through some sort of space invader game. The distractions they offered insured that he more often than not lost the game and would have to do battle after battle against every little one in the room. Laura could not help but wonder what he would be like with his own children, if they had their own children in the future. She leaned against the bookshelf at the entrance to the room and listened to the ongoing ruckus with a smile on her face. It was at that moment that he turned to her and mouthed the words "H-E-L-P!"

"Okay kids, your folks will be back here with grandma very soon. Off you go. Wash those faces and change those clothes." She signaled Danny to help her get his younger siblings up the stairs and into their rooms.

"Listen to Aunt Laura, let's go guys!" The young boy also managed to pick up a few stray toys to toss into the toy bin on his way up the stairs.

"Oh! Thank you Laura, I thought that would never end." Mr. Steele reclined into the couch and put his sock covered feet up on the coffee table.

"Why Mr. Steele, I thought you were enjoying your little parlay into temporary fatherhood." Laura stood behind him and massaged his shoulders.

"I might enjoy it more if I had a childhood with a father of my own to remember. I don't know what I was doing with those kids." He tried to mask the bitterness in his voice but Laura still caught on to it.

"Would you settle for making memories with someone who wants to make memories with you now?" She bent over for an almost kiss, as they were interrupted by the sound of the station wagon pulling up the driveway.

"Grandma's here!" the unison voices of the Piper children declared as they scrambled down the stairs.

"Ah yes," Mr. Steele pulled Laura closer for a quick peck before getting up himself. "Family time."

LHRSLH

As the festivities of Christmas Eve continued to ramp up in the Holt-Piper household, Steele could not help but feel like an outsider looking in once again. Although Laura did her best to include him in all of the activities, there was still something inside of him that told him he did not belong. This was not his family. He had no right to be there intruding on their time. He waited until Laura was in the kitchen helping Frances and Abigail prepare dinner before he slipped out, unnoticed by Donald and the kids.

"Eggnog's ready," Abigail announced after taking a test sip. "Laura, take this out to the dining room and make sure Mr. Steele gets a glass will you?"

"Alright, and mother, Mr. Steele is my guest. You don't have to remind me to watch out for him," Laura responded. Her mother had been talking non-stop since they began preparing the meal about how Laura should have warned her about her boss joining them for Christmas Eve dinner and how totally unprepared everything was for such an important man and Laura should have done this and that, should have prepared that and this, and on and on and on and on. It was all Laura could do not to wish that she had brought along ear plugs to drown out her mother's voice.

She placed the cocktail bowl on the buffet and filled a cup for Mr. Steele. He wasn't in the den where she had last seen him while he was engaged in a chess game with Donald.

"Last time I saw him, he was giving Mindy here a piggy back ride." Donald told her.

"He threw me real high Aunt Laura. I thought he wasn't gonna catch me," the little girl told her while she searched for her Christmas gifts under the tree.

"He wouldn't do that to you Mindy. Now do you know where Mr. Steele went after?"

"You looking for Mr. Steele?" Danny, who had just entered the room asked.

"Have you seen him?" Laura was now getting worried.

"Yeah. He's on the patio. I think. I saw him pacing there from my bedroom window," the boy responded.

"Thanks Danny and by the way," she took the eggnog cup from him, "You're too young for that drink. Have some cocoa instead."

LHRSLH

He didn't notice her step onto the patio and stand beside him, eggnog cup in hand. He was staring straight into the darkness, a sad look on his face. His mind filled with memories of his own horrible Christmases past. How he hated this holiday. How he wished he could just go back to the penthouse and curl up, alone, like he always did on these days.

"Mr. Steele?" Laura's soft voice interrupted his thoughts. "I brought you some eggnog."

He took the cup from her and sipped it in silence. He wasn't really in the mood to talk.

She stood next to him. Not moving, but rather studying him. Her eyes looked over his physical stance and realized that he must have been hurting inside. He placed the cup on the ledge and leaned against the supporting pole, sighing then closing his eyes. He did not want her to see his pain.

They walked towards the nearby window to watch the family gathered around the tree in animated conversation.

She watched his expression change to sadness when Danny and Donald began to engage in some rough housing. Rubbing his back with her hand seemed to be the only comforting action that she could offer him.

"I never had any sort of Christmas experience Laura. I was tossed around so much that I never really had a chance to understand what the holiday meant. Oh I knew that it had something to do with trimmings and food. But what it meant to a have a family around that time?" He tried his best not to look at her while he spoke, afraid that his eyes would betray the tears that he was fighting back. "Oh I was there for the feast part of it. But I never knew about love and caring. And the gifts? What was that all about? The one time that there was a foster family that took pity on me and allowed me to join their festivities, the son of the house took me aside to remind me that I was merely tolerated as part of their charitable activities and I was not to mistake it for anything more than that. I would never be a part of their family." He went silent after that.

"What did you tell him?" she asked, her voice filling with sadness for the lost little boy.

"I punched him in the jaw and ran. I was a street resident for about 2 weeks until social services found me and brought me to another home." He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

Her embrace was warm and loving. She knew how he felt even without words. He found his own arms enveloping her in the process. It was only then that she realized he was shivering. Not from the cold, but from fear and sadness.

"I'm here for you, Mr. Steele." she whispered into his ear. "I'll always be here for you."

They parted when the front door suddenly opened.

"There you are Mr. Steele. Laura, why are you making him stand out in the cold? Get inside, both of you, and warm up. Dinner is being served in a few minutes." Her mother's exasperated tone frustrated Laura to hear.

LHRSLH

Dinner was a happy and noisy event that Remington was enjoying tremendously. This was the first time that he had spent Christmas Eve with a real family that welcomed and embraced his presence in their lives. Frances made sure that he got the choice parts of the Fried Turkey and a huge portion of the Mashed Potatoes. While Abigail was constantly filling his glass with sparking juice. Donald kept trying to get him to try what he called "good 'ol American beer." Through it all Laura simply sat by his side, allowing him to hold her hand whenever he was unsure of how to react to the niceties being thrown his way. Her ready smile and supportive gazes helped him survive until dessert was served.

"Aunt Laura prepared some Apple Pie." Frances told Laurie Beth who had asked what dessert was going to be.

"Aunt Laura...? I don't think I want dessert anymore." Laurie Beth made a gagging motion as her mother disappeared into the kitchen to get the pie.

"Laurie Beth! That is not a nice thing to do! Apologize to you aunt." Donald chastised her.

"It's okay Donald. I understand." Laura tried to lighten the situation.

She had long accepted that she wasn't a great cook like her mother and sister. But that never stopped her from trying to cook for herself or when she felt it was expected of her. Her family making fun of her cooking skills was not something she paid attention to anymore.

"Well I for one can't wait to taste this pie I've been hearing a lot about from you." Steele clapped his hands and rubbed them together as Frances came out with the pie.

"Then maybe you would like to do the honors Mr. Steele?" Frances held out the pie cutter for him.

He took one look at the burned top of the pie and regretted his statement immediately. Laurie Beth definitely knew what she was talking about.

"Yes..." he looked over at Laura who had just found something very interesting to stare at at the ceiling. "Well... Let me have a go at it then." he took the slicer and poked it into the center of the pie.

The slicer bounced off the burned crust. Looking at the eyes centered on him, Steele wondered how he could save face. Holding down the top of the pie with his other hand, he stabbed the top and began cutting through it with a sawing motion.

"Really Mr. Steele, you don't have to do that. Frances has this wonderfully looking and deliciously tasting Gingerbread house just waiting to be eaten while we open gifts. I would hate for you to have to suffer the taste of Laura's baking. The girl couldn't toast bread to save her life." Abigail went on to berate Laura.

"Mother !" The indignant look on Laura's face told Steele that pleasantries were done for the night. Laura slammed her table napkin on the table and stormed out of the room.

"Really Abigail, was that necessary?" Steele asked before getting up himself. "After all, Laura did try her best to bake something for the occasion." He took the plate of burned pie and a fork with him as he followed Laura into the living room.

LHRSLH

There was no emotion on Laura's face as she sat facing the fire. He sat beside her on the couch and started on the pie. He poked under the burned parts and came up with some half baked apples that he managed to chew on and swallow.

"You don't have to do that you know." She told him as she saw the expression on his face. Swallowing the pie seemed to be a problem for him.

"Nonsense Laura. You put so much effort into this pie. The least I can do is taste it." He gave her a pained smile as another sour bite of apple slices went down his throat.

"In case I never said it before, I always appreciate the way you stand up for me. " she held his hand that was midway to his mouth and took the fork from it.

"I really liked the pie Laura."

"I've got the Pepto-Bismol in case you'll be needing it later."

"Oh thank heavens..." He relaxed against the back of the couch. "Come here Laura."

"Laura..." Abigail's voice interrupted them just as Laura was about to lay her head on Steele's shoulder.

"Yes mother?" Laura's voice was strained as she tried to fight off the urge to yell at her mother.

"Laura dear, Mr. Steele was right. I should not have lambasted the pains you took to bake that pie. Maybe you will get better over time. Maybe."

"Why thank you mother." Laura's voice lowered by a few decibels.

Frances and Donald were followed by their kids moments later. The Piper family always opened a few minor Christmas gifts on the eve as some sort of warm up to the big gift opening the next morning. It embarrassed Mr. Steele no end to have received a few small gifts from everyone in the room.

He thanked them for the gifts and signaled for Laura to follow him into the kitchen.

"I don't have anything for your family Laura. You know I don't do Christmas."

"Relax Mr. Steele. I have you covered. " Laura responded. She went out the back door to her car that she had parked in the garage earlier in the day and came back with an armful of gifts. "I tagged them by name so you will know who gets what."

"I love you Ms. Holt!" Steele exclaimed in delight, planting his lips on hers in thanks.

They straightened up and returned to the living room.

"I'm sorry about that. I had Laura bring the gifts over earlier but she apparently forgot to give them to you." He winked at Laura who was standing near the tree now.

Eggnog flowed freely for the rest of the night for the adults while the kids tried to stuff as many mini marshmallows into their cocoa. The Gingerbread house looked like a demolition team had gone through it. It was midnight when Abigail and the Pipers decided to call it a night.

"You can still take the guestroom Mr. Steele." Abigail offered, still trying to make amends for obviously offending him earlier.

"Where I come from Abigail, the female guests always take the bed." he patted the inflatable bed that he was now sitting on. "This will do just fine."

LHRSLH

Laura stayed on with him after everyone had left. He moved back to the couch and placed his arm around her. "I've been wanting to hold you all night Laura."

"Can you wait a little longer Mr. Steele? My gift for you awaits." She got up and pulled the largest gift from behind the tree.

"What is that?" He asked as his breath caught in his throat.

"Open it and find out."

It did not take him long to rip through the wrapping. He could not believe his eyes. A Flexible Flyer!

"You really got me one?" He felt an adrenalin rush go through his system. "I can't believe it! Laura, Laura, Laura! How can I thank you? What can I.. wait. Wait right here."

He rummaged through his overnight bag for something that he wasn't thinking of giving her until the next day.

"I'm sorry, this was all I could think of getting you." He handed her a gift wrapped box.

"Whatever it is, I am sure I will like it." she smiled as she carefully unwrapped the gift.

"You remembered." she smiled sadly at him as she stared at the two boxes of Parlay's."

"I wasn't sure if you liked the liked the Loft's or Shwartz version so I got both." He noticed the sad look on her face. "You didn't like it." His voice was disappointed as he tried to take the chocolates from her.

"No, no!" she shooed his hands away. "I love it. It's just I remembered my father for a minute there..."

He knew what she meant but did not know how to help her overcome the sadness the memory brought. He wrapped his arms around her instead. "I'll never leave you Laura. I give you my word."

"I know Mr. Steele." She whispered before kissing him on the cheek.

LHRSLH

It was 3 A.M. when the disturbing pangs of indigestion hit Mr. Steele. Now he knew what Laurie Beth was talking about.

"Where in the blazes did Laura pack the Pepto-Bismol? " he wondered as he upturned his toiletry kit looking for the antacid. Sheer desperation made him knock on her door.

"What is it?" She asked as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.

"Pepto-Bismol?" He asked as she let him into the room.

He bounced a bit on her bed as she opened her suitcase and fished out the first aid kit.

"How's the air bed?" she asked.

"Feels like the floor. Our carpet at the office is much softer." He responded.

She threw him a "You are driving me up the wall" look.

"I have slept on the carpet a few times." He defended.

She handed him the antacid and made her way back to her bed. He gulped it down and put the bottle back in the first aid kit. He was halfway to the door when he heard her call him.

"Get under the covers." she uncovered the other half of the bed for him to lie in. "No sense in letting you sleep on the floor. would not look good if you faced our clients with a bad back." she yawned.

He gingerly got into his side of the bed and lay still. He turned his head ever so slightly and stared at Laura for a few moments.

"Laura..." He softly called out her name to wake her just for a moment.

"Yes?" she whispered back.

"Thank you."

He laced his fingers between hers. She did not try to shake his hold off. It was morning before he let go of her hand.

LHRSLH

"Laura, Merry Christmas." Abigail knocked on the door and turned the knob to go in. "Have you seen Mr. Steele, nobody can seem to..."

Mr. Steele and her daughter lay under the covers. She did not feel the need to know anything else. She turned to get out of the room but he had already woken up.

"Good morning Abigail." He greeted he raised his arms to stretch out, Laura's hand fell out of his grasp.

"I'm sorry Mr. Steele. We were just wondering where you were and...forget it. " Afraid of putting her foot in her mouth yet again, she decided to just leave the room.

Laura stirred beside him and slowly opened her eyes. "Was that my mother?" She asked.

"I'm afraid it was." He answered as he got out of bed. "I'm afraid she may have gotten the wrong idea."

"And what idea was that?" She asked him as she pulled on her robe.

"You know."

"No I don't."

"Laura..."

"Let me handle it Mr. Steele."

LHRSLH

Donald had taken Mr. Steele out to the porch for a cup of coffee while the women busied themselves preparing breakfast. The kids were already busy testing the indestructibility of their Christmas gifts and pretty much stayed out of the way.

"Is there something you want to tell us Laura?" Abigail opened the conversation as Laura poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Not that I can think of mother." She replied. "Where do you keep the creamer Frances?"

"Laura, you had Mr. Steele in your bed." Her mother was obviously not going to let for of what she saw that morning. "What's going on between the two of you?"

"Yes Laura. Donald and I noticed the two of you last night too. Did you two get "defined" last night?" Frances asked as she took pointed to the creamer jar on the breakfast nook.

Laura took a few sips of her coffee as she tried to decide. Would it help to tell these two the truth about her and Mr. Steele? Did she have anything to lose by telling them? She took a deep breath before speaking up.

"If you two must know... Mr. Steele and I have been defined for almost two years now." She answered. Hey, they were going to think whatever they wanted to, she might as well make their imaginations work overdrive on the truth.

"Two years! And you never told either of us!" Her mother raised her voice by a few decibels.

"There was nothing to tell mother. " she placed some bread slices in the toaster and set the timer.

"Nothing at all?" Frances implied.

"Not what you are both thinking."

"Why not?" Abigail asked.

"Mother! That is not something I want to discuss with either of you. That's too personal."

It was then that the men decided to come into the kitchen.

"The smell of bacon and ham was beckoning to us." Donald announced as he took the brick of orange juice out of the fridge.

Steele walked up to Laura and stood by her as she fried some eggs.

"I told them about us." she told him in a low voice.

He nodded in agreement. "No sense in hiding it from your family Laura."

**CHAPTER 3**

They did not stay for the lunchtime festivities at the house. Frances and Donald were having a few more relatives and friends over for the day and were trying to get Laura and Steele to stay longer but Laura insisted they had other plans.

"Laura, this isn't the way to the penthouse." Mr. Steele commented as the rabbit started on its way to the outskirts of the city.

"I know that Mr. Steele." she smiled impishly.

"Where are we headed?" He asked with a bit of excitement.

"Open the glove compartment." She replied.

The door of the car drawer opened to reveal pamphlets from Mountain High Ski Resorts. He took them out and looked over them.

"I thought it was senseless to give you the flexible flyer if you couldn't use it." she explained.

"How about the agency?"

"I closed it down for the week. I sent Mildred on an extended vacation." She answered.

"Ski passes, ski lift tickets... Seems you've thought of everything Laura." He smiled in anticipation of the week they had in store for them.

"Oh there's more in store for us than you know Mr. Steele." Laura responded.

LHRSLH

The resort was bustling with activity when they arrived. Luckily, it seemed that the check-in rush happened the day before. The reception desk was fairly inactive.

"May I help you?" The young man clad in skiing attire asked as they approached the desk.

"We have a reservation under the name of Steele." Laura answered.

The man checked the computer for their reservation.

"Remington Steele. Party of two. Let me get your keys. I'll only be a minute." The man continued.

Something did not sound right to Mr. Steele. "Only one room Ms. Holt?"

"One room Mr. Steele. Unless you want me to book another room?" She teased.

"No, no! One room is fine." he grinned.

LHRSLH

The room had a queen sized bed and a well stocked bar. The balcony windows opened up to the majestic view of the mountainside. The skiers coming down the hill looked like ants from their viewpoint. The setting was breathtaking, majestic, and definitely romantic.

"I'll take the couch." Steele volunteered even before Laura suggested the sleeping arrangements.

"Not this time Mr. Steele. The bed is big enough for the two of us." She explained as she unpacked their things.

"Are you sure Laura?"

"No. But I decided I wasn't going to be afraid anymore. Let the cards fall where they may." she smiled at him as she headed to the bathroom. "Let's get changed. The slopes await."

LHRSLH

The flexible flyer acquitted itself very well on the slopes. Unfortunately, Steele had no idea about how to maneuver it and kept crashing into the trees. But being together on the sled was a new and memorable adventure for both of them. The night came too fast as far as they were concerned.

"Laura, the hot shower did not help my back so much." he complained as he towel dried his upper body in front of her. His lower half was already towel clad. She was blow drying her hair in the bathroom that they now shared.

"Put on some pants and get into bed. I have the Ben-Gay somewhere here." she put the dryer down and rummaged through the mass of bottles and tubes in her make-up kit.

He was already lying on his chest when she came out. All he saw was her silk pink negligee approaching him before his senses seemed to have blacked out. He did not notice her weight as she straddled him. Smearing his back area with the cream ointment, she began slowly kneading his sore spots with her palms.

He could not help but let out a small groan as she hit all the right places.

"One can get used to this kind of treatment Laura." He commented.

"One can get used to giving this kind of treatment." she responded. "Roll over." She ordered him.

Sitting on his stomach area, she began massaging his chest area upwards. His senses began filling with responses to her touch that he knew would be impossible to fight if she kept this up any longer. She seemed to have noticed the signals his body was giving out, forcing her to slowly end the sensual massage.

"Time for bed." She announced laying herself on the left side of the bed. She turned away from him and closed her eyes. Ready to get some rest after a very tiring day.

He lay beside her for the second time that week. Only this time he spooned into her. Holding her as close to him as possible.

"I am so lucky to have you in my life Laura. You changed my life for the better. " He whispered.

"You filled a void in my life too. You changed me in many ways." She answered. She turned out the lights from the nightstand switch and turned over to hold him closer to her, this time face to face.

"Thank you Laura." He began kissing her all over the face. Their bodies were lit by the night stars shining in from the balcony window nearby.

"For what ?" She wanted to know as she kissed him wherever her lips could touch his face.

" For giving me a memory that I will treasure for the rest of my life. For sharing your family with me and making me a part of it. For giving me my first true Christmas." He explained as the kisses they shared became sweeter and more loving than ever.

Stars continued to fill the night skies as they held onto each other tightly. Falling asleep in each others arms knowing that they both never wanted the night to come to an end.

**THE END**


End file.
